Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHPPINO’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘SMHPPINO’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and sturdy stems; freely flowering habit; broad showy inflorescences with sterile flowers that are light green in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMHPPINO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea paniculata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMHPPINO’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Hydrangea plants with strong stems and large and attractive inflorescences.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2007 of Hydrangea paniculata ‘BarF2’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and an unknown selection of Hydrangea paniculata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in July, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hydrangea plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since July, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMHPPINO’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMHPPINO’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Strong and sturdy stems.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Broad showy inflorescences with sterile flowers that are         light green in color.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the female parent, ‘BarF2’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have stronger stems than plants         of ‘BarF2’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have broader and denser         inflorescences than plants of ‘BarF2’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea and ‘BarF2’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘BarF2’ have white-colored sterile flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,874. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hydrangea differed primarily from plants of ‘Limelight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea were more compact than plants of         ‘Limelight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea had broader and denser         inflorescences than plants of ‘Limelight’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHPPINO’ growing in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHPPINO’.

Plants used in the photographs were three years old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the following description were grown during the summer in three-gallon containers in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants of the new Hydrangea were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. Plants were overwintered in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMHPPINO’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea paniculata ‘BarF2’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hydrangea             paniculata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at             temperatures about 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months at temperatures about 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fine and thick; white and brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub;             upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; broad             inverted triangle; strong and sturdy lateral branches;             freely branching habit with about 29 lateral branches             developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 93.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 138 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 80 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Internode length: About 3 cm to 7.9 cm. Texture: Pubescent.             Strength: Strong, sturdy; rigid. Aspect: Erect to about 35°             from vertical. Color, developing: Close to 194B overlain             with close to 199A and blending into close to 200D. Color,             developed: Close to 138B overlain with close to 199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 13.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 6.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Obtuse to cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrulate; slightly undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Slightly pubescent;             rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A             tinted with close to 145A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to 137A; venation, close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to 145C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Slightly pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             145A. Color, lower surface: Close to 145C. -   Inflorescence & flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers             arranged on large broad terminal panicles; flowers face             upright and outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from mid-July             until October in Grand Haven, Mich.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; at least 100             fertile flowers and at least 1,000 sterile flowers develop             per inflorescence.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 28.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 20.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 3 mm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 2 cm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 2.75 mm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Shape: Orbicular, lobed. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 1.2 mm.             Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Shape: Orbicular, lobed. Color:             Close to 155A.         -   Petals, fertile flowers.—Arrangement: Four in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 1.25 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 145A; becoming closer to             145B with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             145B; becoming closer to 145C with development.         -   Petals, sterile flowers.—Arrangement: Four in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 1.25 mm. Shape:             Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded to slightly             acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 147C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 147D. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155A; color does             not change with development.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity per flower: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Fused. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 145A;             color does not change with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 145C; color does not             change with development.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity per flower: Four in a             single whorl. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 1.6 cm.             Shape: Elliptical to obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse to             slightly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 155A; striations, close to 145C.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155A; color             becoming closer to 186A with development.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter:             About 1 mm. Angle: Erect to about 90° from inflorescence             axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Slightly pubescent.             Color: Close to 145D.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter:             About 1.2 mm. Angle: Erect to about 45° from inflorescence             axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 155A.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About eight. Filament length: About 0.75 mm.             Filament color: Close to 145A. Anther shape: Lanceolate.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 145A.             Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 145A. Style length:             About 0.75 mm. Style color: Close to 145A. Ovary color:             Close to 155A and 145B.         -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About eight. Filament length: About 2.5 mm. Filament             color: Close to 155C. Anther shape: Lobed. Anther length:             About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 162B. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155B. Pistils: Pistil             quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma             shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 145A. Style             length: About 0.75 mm. Style color: Close to 145A. Ovary             color: Close to 155A and 145B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Hydrangea. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been observed     to have good garden performance by exhibiting good tolerance to rain     and wind; to be resistant to sun scald; and to tolerate temperatures     ranging from about −32° C. to about 36° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHPPINO’ as illustrated and described. 